"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading"
Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu
Far too often we see people that seem to be 'stuck' in the same rut - performing the same actions over and over again. In many cases these people know that they need to change direction. They know that they need to make a change and to better their family life, their personal life, and their professional life.
Yet rarely does it happen.
It's not that people don't intend to change direction. Nor do they intend to stagnate and live a life where they are bound to the clock and (in the words of one of my friend's daughters when discussing why she didn't want a job and wanted to be an entrepreneur) have to ask someone's permission to go to the bathroom because they are at work.
There is something that occurs in the posture and psyche of a human being when they 'join' the world of work. Sliding from the indoctrination they receive in the school system to the indoctrination of the working world, they join the mass of humanity that ebbs and flows like the tide between home and work.
We are taught that the 'best' way or the 'safest' way to exist and provide value to society is to work our 40+ hours a week for someone else. Yet in the same breath our society honors those that take risks and are successful. We idealize the business leaders for where they are right now, celebrating their triumph as we work for them. Rarely do we look deeper into their history and see the true trials and tribulations they had to face as they were working to make something great - to make their legacy. Rarely do we take the opportunity to break down their success into small measurable steps that could be replicated by almost anyone.
I would postulate that our society has focused too much on following the leaders - on joining their businesses - and not enough on teaching and mentoring people to swim against the tide. As a society we face the very real challenge that we are not teaching people to innovate and to lead and to be ethical and empowering business people and as such we will see a slow down of innovation and a culturally bred blindness to opportunity. Instead we are mass creating lemmings that march towards an unknown event with very little thought about what their contingency plan or their alternatives are. As a result when the catastrophic happens and there is a mass layoff, bank crisis or housing bubble burst (or insert other drastic economic downturn here), very few individuals are equipped to analyze their opportunities and chart a new direction. In fact, the vast majority will talk about changes and wanting to go another direction but will end up back in with the crowd of lemmings.
But what if people were to recognize the world of work for what it is - a means to provide happiness and security for their families and not a life long labor with few options. What if people were taught the basics of business management and personal growth? Is it possible that these few will influence others and (despite the negative comments from co-workers and 'friends' who myopically follow the crowd) be able to chart a new direction? Is it possible that these people will not only learn, but become teachers in their own right?
We know that it is.
Therefore the ultimate question that must be asked (and answered) by each of us is really are you prepared to change direction and improve your life?
Todd Ramsey is a strategist, innovator and leader who focuses on developing leaders within his teams/client's organizations - whether they are at technology, telecommunications, or energy companies. His success is built upon understanding the real issues in a situation and approaching these with integrity, passion, focus, and driving results in a professional manner where the client (internal or external) feels valued and respected.
